Appeal expected in Autumnwood decision

The town of Sandwich is expected to appeal a decision made last week by the state’s Housing Appeals Committee that approved a controversial project on land off Quaker Meetinghouse Road.

Silene Gordon

The town of Sandwich is expected to appeal a decision made last week by the state’s Housing Appeals Committee that approved a controversial project on land off Quaker Meetinghouse Road.
According to Assistant Town Administrator Doug Lapp, an appeal was to be filed this week on a judgment by the appeals committee to allow the building of Autumnwood, 272 units along Kiah’s Way.
“This is not the end of the process,” said Lapp, referring to the state’s approval. The deadline to file an appeal is Aug. 2. “We are going to appeal the decision in Superior Court. There are a number of issues at hand here.”
Last week, the state gave the green light for the development of 176 single-family homes and 96 condominium units on 47.5 acres off Quaker Meetinghouse Road. The project, proposed by developer Mark Wisentaner and billed as an affordable housing plan, was first proposed in 2004. A quarter of the homes, or 68 in total, would be marketed as affordable housing.
In 2005, the Sandwich ZBA approved the 40B project establishing as one condition that 70 percent of the land be held aside because the site has served as habitat for the Eastern box turtle, which is a protected species. The state ordered work stopped to avoid harming the turtle or its habitat and directed Wisentaner to have a habitat assessment conducted. That assessment has yet to be provided.
In addition to protecting the habitat, Lapp said the appeal also centers on accessibility and density issues. The project is estimated to bring more than 250 school-aged children to Sandwich, as well as add 3,000 vehicle trips per day to the area.
Although the state ruled that access via Kiah’s Way as well as Pin Oak Drive and Discovery Hill would be adequate, previous findings by the town indicate that increased traffic in this location would compromise safety in the area. In an interview last year, town counsel Jason Talerman said that the town was concerned about “impacts caused by density.”
“Mr. Wisentaner has never represented the legal right or ability to build roads for the 3,000 road trips that would take place per day,” said Talerman.
The development would be built adjacent to Dana’s Fields, operated by the Housing Assistance Corporation. That development has had its own share of obstacles to overcome. Dana’s Fields includes building rental apartments that would allow residents to live and work in an agricultural setting.
In addition, there are questions surrounding who made road improvements to an unpaved portion of Kiah’s Way. A portion of the road owned by the town was improved without permission, while barriers that had been put in place to prevent further trespassing were tampered with, according to Sandwich police.
According to town officials, the investigation into the person involved in the improvements and subsequent vandalism continues.